Students from Irma Rangel Women’s Leadership School were on a panel discussing First Lady Michelle Obama’s new memoir when they got a surprise of the lifetime. Obama walked out from behind the curtain during their discussion, much to the shock of the students at the Winspear Opera House who had no idea she was there. More than a few happy tears followed. Obama was in town to discuss her new book Becoming later that night during a sold-out presentation at American Airlines Center (AAC). Thanks to various partners and ticket donations from Obama’s office, more than 100 Dallas ISD students…
Author: The Hub
The Hub
Connecting you to the personalities, places and perspectives of Dallas ISD
Students at Geneva Heights Elementary School are shopping ’til they drop as part of an incentive program to reward good behavior and attendance during the third six weeks. Students were awarded “Cougar Cash” in order to buy presents for themselves, a friend or family member. Each student started with $10 and then could earn more during the six weeks. The “Heights Holiday Store” features donated jewelry, candles, toys and trinkets, mugs, frames, gift wrap, ribbons, tape, tags and money donated by Geneva Heights parents and community members. Parents Sarah Shopay and Julie Kim organized the holiday store. The store was…
The Research in Mathematics Education unit at Southern Methodist University has named Dallas ISD Chief Academic Officer Ivonne Durant as the recipient of its Impact in Leadership Award. SMU stated they selected Durant for her “outstanding contributions to policy, research and practice in STEM Education.” “Of particular note, this year’s conference theme focuses on access and equity,” states a letter from the Research in Mathematics Education (RME) unit. “(Durant’s) relentless efforts to ensure all students have access to high-quality STEM educational opportunities is inspiring.” The criteria for nomination and selection for the award was quite rigorous, and included the following:…
La junta escolar del Dallas ISD aprobó el programa de incentivos del Departamento de Transporte Escolar el 13 de diciembre. Este programa de incentivos ofrece tres tipos de incentivos: incentivo por asistencia perfecta, recomendaciones para conductores con licencia comercial para conducir (CDL, por sus siglas en inglés) y retención de conductores CDL. El incentivo por asistencia perfecta permite a los conductores de Dallas ISD y los monitores de los autobuses con asistencia perfecta durante el mes, ganarse $50 adicionales por ese mes. El personal que cumpla con este criterio debe tener asistencia perfecta y cubrir todas las rutas asignadas por…
The Margaret Hunt-Hill Bridge never tasted so good. Well, at least that’s possibly true of the miniature structure made out of gingerbread, marshmallows and icing by students at Dallas ISD’s Multiple Career Magnet Center (MCMC). It’s part of a baked and candy-bedazzled cityscape that includes a rendition of the school, a skyscraper and will eventually feature Big Tex and the Cotton Bowl. Chef Stephen Drake, who leads the culinary cluster at the school, has used the gingerbread-building lesson when he taught culinary arts at Roosevelt, Lincoln and Townview Center. Students bake the gingerbread, help plan the structures and then assemble…
The number of meals served to youth by Dallas ISD Food and Child Nutrition Services staff during Thanksgiving break nearly tripled this year. Break Meals, a district program designed to help ensure students have access to healthy, delicious meals when schools are not in session, were served at 34 schools Nov. 19-23. The number of meals represents a 260 percent increase over the previous year. Meals will also be offered during Winter Break, 8-9 a.m. and 11 a.m.-noon Dec. 21, Dec. 26-28 and Jan. 2-4 at designated schools. Break Meals are free to all children participating in an educational or…
The Dallas ISD Board of Trustees approved the Transportation Department incentive program on Dec. 13. This incentive program is comprised of three incentives: perfect attendance, Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) driver referral and CDL driver retention incentive. The Perfect Attendance Incentive allows Dallas ISD drivers and bus monitors with perfect attendance during a month to earn an extra $50 for that month. Eligible staff must have perfect attendance and cover all assigned morning and afternoon routes. The incentive, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2019, aims to reduce the absence rate for drivers and monitors. Eligible positions for this incentive are…
Principal Onjaleke Brown found orange peels everywhere in the classroom. Normally, such as mess would be frustrating, but the fruity remains were evidence that first-graders at N.W. Harllee Early Childhood Center enjoyed tasting the fresh satsuma mandarin oranges trucked in this morning from Sturdivant Farms near the Texas coast. The “Harvest of the Month” is an ongoing program by Dallas ISD Food and Child Nutrition Services (FCNS) that highlights a locally grown produce item. Students get to sample the produce and learn facts about it and, in the case of Harllee, sometimes meet the farmers behind the food. Christopher Sturdivant…
Dallas ISD has met board policy of having two months of unassigned fund balance for the first time since June 2013. Meanwhile, a five-year financial forecast shows Dallas ISD is positioned to remain on solid financial footing for the foreseeable future, a financial report says. Dallas ISD Chief Financial Officer Larry Throm briefed trustees on the district’s financial report during the Dec. 13 board meeting. Following his presentation, Superintendent Michael Hinojosa announced that Throm would be retiring again. “Larry has done a phenomenal job in this district and we are set for the next five years thanks to his work,”…
Dwain Simmons, director de L. G. Pinkston High School, y Damien Stovall, director de Edward Titche Elementary School, tienen mucho en común y entre todo elloresalta su compromiso por transformar la enseñanza y la cultura en sus planteles para poder proporcionar una educación de calidad a todos los estudiantes. Ahora, también comparten el reconocimiento como directores del año Dallas ISD. Simmons fue nombrado director del año de escuelas secundarias de 2018, mientras que Stovall recibió el mismo reconocimiento en la categoría de escuelas primarias. Simmons ha sido director por siete años, y ha conseguido que sus escuelas logren objetivos académicos…